Notes for AAJ Contributors

If you would like to submit to the Australian Army Journal, please consider the following.

The Australian Army Journal (AAJ) Editorial Board offer the following advice for authors contributing to the AAJ.

General

Preference will be given to topics that are relevant to the current or future Army or Australian Defence Force (ADF). Read previous editions before you write!

Arguments should be well structured with logical conclusions and/or recommendations for the current or future Army or ADF. Preference will be given to articles that answer the "so what?" question.

Anecdotal commentary should be minimised but credible, scholarly and referenced research to support arguments is essential.

Where possible, referenced sources should be diverse and accessible by readers of your article.

Submissions should be tailored for the AAJ audience and written for purpose. Re-submitting work that has been written for another reason (a university assignment, staff paper, or longer study paper) will not be accepted without significant rework.

Avoid articles with too much military or technical jargon. These are often confusing to the board and AAJ readership. Avoid the overuse of sub-headings.

Submissions should not exceed 5000 words. Arguments that can not be made in 5000 words (or less) are unlikely to be suitable for the AAJ.

Use charts, graphs, or illustrations sparingly. They must support your argument and are not a substitution for well written prose.

All submitted material is subject to a process of assessment and evaluation through the editors and peer review. Please note that we will not accept articles that:

Have been previously published elsewhere

Are currently under consideration for publication with another journal

Are formatted in the 'numbered paragraph' style

Word length (including endnotes)

Journal articles: 3000-5000 words

Book reviews: 500-800 words

Opinion pieces: 1000-2000 words

Letters to the Editor are welcome

Format/style guide

For quick reference, the most important presentation and submission preferences are below:

Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)

1.5 line spacing

2.5cm margins on all sides

12-point Times New Roman

References are to be in automated endnotes with Arabic numerals. Please refer to previous editions for endnote style.

Footnotes may be used for elaboration and supplementary information if necessary

Australian spelling (e.g., -ise not -ize)

Minimum use of abbreviations

Article abstract

The most immediate function of an abstract is to summarise the major aspects of a paper. But an excellent abstract goes further; it will also encourage a reader to read the entire article. For this reason it should be an engagingly written piece of prose that is not simply a rewrite of the introduction in shorter form. It should be no longer than 200 words and include:

Purpose of the paper

Issues or questions that may have arisen during your research/discussion

Conclusions that you have reached, and if relevant, any recommendations

Author biography

The biography should be approximately 100 words. It should include:

Full name and title

Brief summary of current or previous service history (if applicable)

Details of educational qualifications

Institution represented (if applicable)

Contributions can be made by email to dflw.publications [at] defence.gov.au